Minnesota State hits game-winner to win DII men's basketball championship
The 2026 NCAA DII men's basketball championship begins with a selection show on Sunday, March 8 at 11 p.m. ET on krikyasport.com. The 64-team field will come down to eight regional qualifiers advancing to Indianapolis.
Here is everything you need to know about the 2026 DII men's basketball championship.
2026 DII men's basketball championship bracket
2026 DII men's basketball championship schedule
All times listed in ET.
- Selection show: 11 p.m. on Sunday, March 8
- First and second rounds: Saturday, March 14 and Sunday, March 15
- Regionals: Tuesday, March 17
- Quarterfinal and semifinal competition: Wednesday, March 25 through Friday March 27
- National championship: Sunday, April 5
NCAA DII Men's Basketball Championship History
| Year | Champion (Record) | Coach | Score | Runner-Up | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Nova Southeastern (36-1) | Jim Crutchfield | 74-73 | Cal St. Dom. Hills | Evansville, Ind. |
| 2024 | Minnesota State (35-2) | Matt Margenthaler | 88-85 | Nova Southeastern | Evansville, Ind. |
| 2023 | Nova Southeastern (36-0) | Jim Crutchfield | 111-101 | West Liberty | Evansville, Ind. |
| 2022 | Northwest Missouri State (34-5) | Ben McCollum | 67-58 | Augusta | Evansville, Ind. |
| 2021 | Northwest Missouri State (28-2) | Ben McCollum | 80-54 | West Texas A&M | Evansville, Ind. |
| 2020 | Canceled due to Covid-19 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2019 | Northwest Missouri State (38-0) | Ben McCollum | 64-58 | Point Loma | Evansville, Ind. |
| 2018 | Ferris State (38-1) | Andy Bronkema | 71-69 | Northern State | Sioux Falls, S.D. |
| 2017 | Northwest Missouri St. (35-1) | Ben McCollum | 71-61 | Fairmont State | Sioux Falls, S.D. |
| 2016 | Augustana [S.D.] (34-2) | Tom Billeter | 90-81 | Lincoln Memorial | Frisco, Tex. |
| 2015 | Florida Southern (36-1) | Linc Darner | 77-62 | Indiana (Pa.) | Evansville, Ind. |
| 2014 | Central Missouri (30-5) | Kim Anderson | 84-77 | West Liberty | Evansville, Ind. |
| 2013 | Drury (31-4) | Steve Hesser | 74-73 | Metro State | Atlanta, Ga. |
| 2012 | Western Washington (31-5) | Brad Jackson | 72-65 | Montevallo | Highland Heights, Ky. |
| 2011 | Bellarmine (33-2) | Scott Davenport | 71-68 | BYU-Hawaii | Springfield, Mass. |
| 2010 | Cal Poly Pomona (28-6) | Greg kamansky | 65-53 | Indiana (Pa.) | Springfield, Mass. |
| 2009 | Findlay (36-0) | Ron Niekamp | 56-53 (ot) | Cal Poly Pomona | Springfield, Mass. |
| 2008 | Winona State (38-1) | Mike Leaf | 87-76 | Augusta State | Springfield, Mass. |
| 2007 | Barton (31-5) | Ron Lievense | 77-75 | Winona State | Springfield, Mass. |
| 2006 | Winona State (32-4) | Mike Leaf | 73-61 | Virginia Union | Springfield, Mass. |
| 2005 | Virginia Union (30-4) | Dave Robbins | 63-58 | Bryant | Grand Forks, N.D. |
| 2004 | Kennesaw State (35-4) | Tony Ingle | 84-59 | Southern Indiana | Bakersfield, Calif. |
| 2003 | Northeastern State (32-3) | Larry Gipson | 75-64 | **Kentucky Wesleyan | Lakeland, Fla. |
| 2002 | Metro State (29-6) | Mike Dunlap | 80-72 | Kentucky Wesleyan | Evansville, Ind. |
| 2001 | Kentucky Wesleyan (31-3) | Ray Harper | 72-63 | Washburn | Bakersfield, Calif. |
| 2000 | Metro State (33-4) | Mike Dunlap | 97-79 | Kentucky Wesleyan | Louisville, Ky. |
| 1999 | Kentucky Wesleyan (35-2) | Ray Harper | 75-60 | Metro State | Louisville, Ky. |
| 1998 | UC Davis (31-2) | Bob Williams | 83-77 | Kentucky Wesleyan | Louisville, Ky. |
| 1997 | Cal State Bakersfield (29-4) | Pat Douglass | 57-56 | Northern Kentucky | Louisville, Ky. |
| 1996 | Fort Hays State (34-0) | Gary Garner | 70-63 | Northern Kentucky | Louisville, Ky. |
| 1995 | Southern Indiana (29-4) | Bruce Pearl | 71-63 | UC Riverside | Louisville, Ky. |
| 1994 | Cal State Bakersfield (27-6) | Pat Douglass | 92-86 | Southern Indiana | Springfield, Mass. |
| 1993 | Cal State Bakersfield (33-0) | Pat Douglass | 85-72 | Troy | Springfield, Mass. |
| 1992 | Virginia Union (30-3) | Dave Robbins | 100-75 | Bridgeport | Springfield, Mass. |
| 1991 | North Alabama (29-4) | Gary Elliot | 79-72 | Bridgeport | Springfield, Mass. |
| 1990 | Kentucky Wesleyan (31-2) | Wayne Chapman | 93-79 | Cal State Bakersfield | Springfield, Mass. |
| 1989 | North Carolina Central (28-4) | Michael Bernard | 73-46 | Southeast Missouri State | Springfield, Mass. |
| 1988 | Massachusetts-Lowell (27-7) | Don Doucette | 75-72 | Alaska Anchorage | Springfield, Mass. |
| 1987 | Kentucky Wesleyan (28-5) | Wayne Chapman | 92-74 | Gannon | Springfield, Mass. |
| 1986 | Sacred Heart (30-4) | Dave Bike | 93-87 | Southeast Missouri State | Springfield, Mass. |
| 1985 | Jacksonville State (31-1) | Bill Jones | 74-73 | South Dakota State | Springfield, Mass. |
| 1984 | Central Missouri (29-3) | Lynn Nance | 81-77 | Saint Augustine's | Springfield, Mass. |
| 1983 | Wright State (18-4) | Ralph Underhill | 92-73 | District of Columbia | Springfield, Mass. |
| 1982 | District of Columbia (25-5) | Wil Jones | 73-63 | Florida Southern | Springfield, Mass. |
| 1981 | Florida Southern (24-8) | Hal Wissel | 73-68 | Mount Saint Mary's | Springfield, Mass. |
| 1980 | Virginia Union (26-4) | Dave Robbins | 80-74 | SUNYIT | Springfield, Mass. |
| 1979 | North Alabama (22-9) | Bill Jones | 64-50 | Green Bay | Springfield, Mo. |
| 1978 | Cheyney (26-2) | John Chaney | 47-40 | Green Bay | Springfield, Mo. |
| 1977 | Chattanooga (27-5) | Ron shumate | 71-62 | Randolph-Macon | Springfield, Mass. |
| 1976 | Puget Sound (27-7) | Don Zech | 83-74 | Chattanooga | Evansville, Ind. |
| 1975 | Old Dominion (25-6) | Sonny Allen | 76-74 | New Orleans | Evansville, Ind. |
| 1974 | Morgan State (28-5) | Nathaniel Frazier | 67-52 | Missouri State | Evansville, Ind. |
| 1973 | Kentucky Wesleyan (24-6) | Bob Jones | 78-76 (ot) | Tennessee State | Evansville, Ind. |
| 1972 | Roanoke (28-4) | Charles Moir | 84-72 | Akron | Evansville, Ind. |
| 1971 | Evansville (22-8) | Arad McCutchan | 97-82 | Old Dominion | Evansville, Ind. |
| 1970 | Philadelphia University (29-2) | Herb Magee | 76-65 | Tennessee State | Evansville, Ind. |
| 1969 | Kentucky Wesleyan (25-5) | Bob Daniels | 75-71 | Missouri State | Evansville, Ind. |
| 1968 | Kentucky Wesleyan (28-3) | Bob Daniels | 63-52 | Indiana State | Evansville, Ind. |
| 1967 | Winston-Salem (30-2) | C.E. Gaines | 77-74 | Missouri State | Evansville, Ind. |
| 1966 | Kentucky Wesleyan (24-6) | Guy Strong | 54-51 | Southern Illinois | Evansville, Ind. |
| 1965 | Evansville (29-0) | Arad McCutchan | 85-82 (ot) | Southern Illinois | Evansville, Ind. |
| 1964 | Evansville (26-3) | Arad McCutchan | 72-59 | Akron | Evansville, Ind. |
| 1963 | South Dakota State (22-5) | Jim Iverson | 44-42 | Wittenberg | Evansville, Ind. |
| 1962 | Mount Saint Mary's (24-6) | James Phelan | 58-57 (ot) | Sacramento State | Evansville, Ind. |
| 1961 | Wittenberg (25-4) | Ray Mears | 42-38 | Southeast Missouri State | Evansville, Ind. |
| 1960 | Evansville (25-4) | Arad McCutchan | 90-69 | Chapman | Evansville, Ind. |
| 1959 | Evansville (21-6) | Arad McCutchan | 83-67 | Missouri State | Evansville, Ind. |
| 1958 | South Dakota (22-5) | Duane Clodfelter | 75-53 | Saint Michael's | Evansville, Ind. |
| 1957 | Wheaton (Ill.) (28-1) | Lee Pfund | 89-65 | Kentucky Wesleyan | Evansville, Ind. |
